WJPA Sports

WPIAL Soccer brackets
Adam Moessner scored from the top of the penalty box six minutes into the second overtime, lifting the Bentworth boys to a fourth-straight WPIAL soccer championship with a 2-1 win against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Bearcats’ last three championship game wins have been against the Chargers.  OLSH opened the scoring 9 minutes into the match on a goal by freshman Caiden Price. Garrett Allen kicked home a cross seven minutes later to tie the match. Neither team scored again over the remaining 64 minutes of regulation, the full 15 minutes minutes of the first overtime and 5:55 of the second before Moessnet netted his 59th goal of the year, getting the roller  past OLSH keeper Jack Dewhirst.

Bentworth boys and girls are the only Washington/Greene County teams to reach the PIAA tournament–the boys as the defending state champion and 4-time WPIAL titlists, the girls as the WPIAL’s third-place finisher. Both Bentworth teams will play first-round state matches on Tuesday.

WPIAL Championship at Station Square
Saturday, Nov. 7
1A Boys #1 Bentworth over #3 OLSH, 2-1 2OT

WPIAL Volleyball brackets
Peters Township won the first set, dropped the second, then notched back-t0-back double-digit set wins to win the WPIAL 5A volleyball title. The Indians won the 4A title a year ago before PIAA expanded girls volleyball to six classifications.  North Catholic was trying for its fifth WPIAL title. Waynesburg beat Seton-La Salle to head into the 3A state title as the WPIAL’s third-place finisher. Both teams will open PIAA play on Tuesday. Fort Cherry took third place in the 2A bracket. The Rangers head to the state tournament on Wednesday.

WPIAL Championship at AHN Arena, Peters Township
Saturday, Nov. 7
5A #1 Peters Township over #2 North Catholic, 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-13, 25-15)

Third-Place Matches
Saturday, Nov. 7
3A #2 Waynesburg over #3 Seton-La Salle, 3-1 (25-17, 14-25, 25-20, 25-23)

Andrew Sharp ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half, as Washington & Jefferson extended its win streak to eight with a 63-0 home win against St. Francis. Sharp’s day was part of a 360-yard rushing effort by the Presidents who scored on each of their first six possessions. 13 different W&J players were credited with at least one rushing play.  Sharp now has 24 total touchdowns (21 rushing), moving him to 5th place on the single-season touchdown list, passing Ryan Ruffing (2015) and Chris Babirad (1991). Babirad’s 34 touchdowns in 1992 is the best single-season ever. Sharp also moved into 5th place on the single-season points scoring list, now with 144 points.  Meanwhile the Red & Black defense held the Red Wolves to just 47 yards total offense while snaring three interceptions and allowing just three first downs. Matt Boyce grabbed his first interception on a pass tipped by his brother, Alex. Rudy Morris and Will Domico each picked up their second interceptions of the season. Devin Wyandt kicked 8 extra points in the game, giving him 204 in his career, passing Mike Evan (1993-1996) for the most in school history. W&J, with at least a share of the PAC title and the League’s automatic playoff big in hand, wraps up the regular season next Saturday at Westminster, then will await word from the NCAA regarding their first playoff site, date and opponent.

Beth-Center, California, Fort Cherry, Trinity and Wash High all won opening-round football playoff games Friday night, advancing to the WPIAL quarterfinals. Trinity led 6-0 at the half, then added a pair of touchdowns after intermission to earn a shot at #1 Pine-Richland next week. Wash High scored early and often at home and set up a meeting with Beth-Center, the Bulldogs coming in off a blowout of Burgettstown. Fort Cherry rolled into the quarterfinals where the Rangers will play Laurel for the third time in less than a year. California trailed 7-0 at the half before scoring touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to advance in the 1A bracket against Clairton. McGuffey led 7-0 at intermission but Beaver Falls scored four time after the break, ending the Highlanders’ season. Chartiers-Houston lost at Western Beaver bringing the Bucs’ season to a close. Waynesburg fell behind Aliquippa early and never recovered. Friday’s winners advance to play next weekend, along with Canon-McMillan who had the night off, preparing to host North Allegheny next Friday night in the WPIAL 6A semifinals. Brackets were expected to be updated Saturday but that has been delayed, possibly until Sunday morning.  Click for WPIAL brackets

WPIAL First Round Scores
1A #8 Beth-Center 34, #9 Burgettstown 8,  Watch/Listen Here
1A #1 Wash High 58, Frazier 8, Watch/Listen Here
1A #4 Fort Cherry 50, #13 Avella 6, (Watch/Listen Here
1A #6 California 16, #11 Northgate 7
2A #9 Beaver Falls 28, #8 McGuffey 7, Watch/Listen Here
2A #5 Western Beaver 44, #12 Chartiers-Houston 22
3A #7 Aliquippa 52, #10 Waynesburg 14
5A #8 Trinity 21, #9 Latrobe 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Myles Garrett is expected to return to the field for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Washington after missing the past seven games with a knee injury. Coach Sean McVay announced Garrett’s likely availability before the last practice of the week. The Rams acquired the two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in a trade over the summer, but he has played in just one game for his new team. That was the Rams’ season-opening blowout loss to the 49ers in Australia. Garrett was ineffective in that game and revealed afterward that he was limited by the knee injury.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The NFL has told disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk that he needs to repay the San Francisco 49ers about $13 million he previously received in bonuses as he tries to get reinstated to the team’s roster. A person with knowledge of the situation says the league sent Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association a letter Thursday saying that he owes the 49ers the money based on bonuses he was paid after signing a four-year, $120 million extension before the start of the 2024 season. Aiyuk and new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with the team Friday at the Niners’ business offices.